SportPlex of Mobile, a once respected health and fitness club, is slowly but surely driving their club and their name into the ground. They once stood out as the only health club in Mobile that would allow you to sign up on a month-to-month basis without signing a contract. I signed up during this time and was delighted to be able to go to a gym without being locked into a contract.
Unfortunately, after about a year at SportPlex, I lost my job. I knew we would have to make some cut-backs and my gym membership was just not a necessity. I gave my 30-day notice which was all that was required at the time. Before the 30 days was up, I was able to find another job. I let the employees at SportPlex know this and asked that they reinstate my membership. They filled out some paperwork and had me sign it and that was that.
That happened in December. Then in January of after two happy years with SportPlex, I decided to cancel my membership. I was told by the SportPlex employees that they had turned all of their accounts over to another company, ASF International, and that I would have to call them to cancel.
This is when I found out (from ASF) that, some time during my first year at SportPlex, they decided to start requiring one-year contracts. So, when they filled out my paperwork to reinstate my membership they were actually having me sign a one-year contract. This was not explained to me, but I take full responsibility for not paying more attention to what I was signing. I had been with them for a year and I trusted them. They told me to sign so I signed.
Then it is explained to me that on the back of the contract that I signed, there was a renewal clause. It stated that if you did not cancel your contract within 30 days of the end of the year, you would automatically be signed up for an entire new year. This was most certainly never explained to me, nor was the document even turned over to show me that there were clauses or provisions on the back. I was never sent any type of notice informing me that my contract would be renewing so that I could opt out.
So by January, I was two months too late. I am now stuck with paying for an entire year of a gym membership that I never wanted and will not use. A SportPlex employee admitted to me that the reason they turned over the account was that the "girls at the front desk could not handle all the (angry) call." I have since spoken with many SportPlex patrons and not one was aware of the renewal provision.
Their actions have been sneaky and unethical and they take absolutely no responsibility for them. They just continue to pass the buck saying that they now have nothing to do with it and conveniently hand out the phone number to ASF.
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